Wednesday, November 14, 2007

A Note from Clea Simon

Clea Simon, author of the Theda Krakow mysteries, including Cries and Whiskers, has given me a couple copies of it to give as prizes in the contest that will start on Thursday. She was kind enough to send a note as well.

Dear Readers,

What is the deal with women and cats? Or, I guess I should be specific and own up to my own foibles, with me and cats? I figure since you’re reading this -- and since Lesa has been so kind as to include me and my latest book, “Cries and Whiskers,” in her blog, I should address the big issues.

For starters, I’ve got to say I’m not anti-dog. Several of my close friends have dogs; one has Irish wolfhounds, two of ‘em, which are larger than she is (though not, I hasten to add, larger than me. Vicki’s quite petite.) Nor do I have anything against men and cats. Many men love cats – the best men I know love cats (and I include my husband Jon in that category). But I’m a woman who loves cats, and now I’m a mystery writer who writes about women and their cats. So it’s only fair to ask: What gives?

Well, I could say it is simply a time-honored tradition. Long before Lilian Jackson Braun, women and cats were linked through history and mythology. I could cite references to Bast (the great Egyptian goddess who not only controlled the flooding of the Nile but also the making of paper and the brewing of beer – begin to see a connection?) and to Freya (who flew through the air on a sleigh drawn by cats). I could talk about witches and familiars, and, well... you get the idea.

Or I could get contemporary and refer you to the real female-feline issues that intrigue me. Because there are some strange connections. Did you know, for example, that most cat hoarders (you know, “crazy cat people”) are in fact women? That’s one reason the victim in my first mystery, “Mew is for Murder,” is an old lady who lives alone with a bunch of cats. But, on the flip side, the vast majority of people who do rescue work – like several of the characters in my new mystery, “Cries and Whiskers” – are women, too. These connections are fascinating to me, and they are why I put at least one in each of my Theda Krakow mysteries. How can two species be so in tune? How many ways can we humans and these semi-domesticated little tigers interact? There’s material here for decades to come.

But to get down to the truth, sometimes I think I write mysteries with cats in them because I love the diminutive beasts. Simply put, cats are wonderful companions for writers. I’ve lived with all sorts of animals. At one point, I had a pet toad. He was named Dyatt. But there’s something about a purring cat that’s conducive to writing. My current feline companion, Musetta, is quite the task mistress. True to her name, “little muse,” she inspires me with both her grace and her clumsy kittenish antics. She’s as prone to sliding off a pillow as she is to gracefully “cat walk” along a sill. On cold days, when my home office gets chilly, she leans up against my legs and warms me more than even my fuzziest slippers. And whenever I’m ready to call it a day, to let some scene resolve itself – she invariably lies across my toes and falls asleep. And how can I disturb a sleeping cat? Instead, I write a little longer. I re-read what I’ve already written. I stay at my desk for just enough time to let me finish off that section – and for Musetta to finish her nap.

So if cats fascinate you, whether you have a real feline in your life or not, I hope you’ll find something in my books to make you purr. And if they don’t, perhaps one of my books will take you for a walk on the wild side – and open you up to a feline future!

Thanks so much for joining me today. And thank you, too, to Lesa, for hosting such marvelous contests and blogs.

5 comments:

Thanks for sharing this, Lesa. I haven't read Clea's books but I will have to look them up now. My daughter and her husband just got a new dog. They already had a cat. She and I were just discussing this morning how much more independent cats are and also some other differences. We have always been cat people and she grew up with them. Her husband's family always had lots of dogs. Guess they will both have to adjust. By the way, the cat and the new dog seem to be slowly becoming friends. We'll see! Ha!

We cat people KNOW which animal will probably rule the house when there is a dog and a cat. We introduced my father-in-law's dog into our household, and our cat definitely let him know which animal was most entitled to the puddle of sunshine.

Check out Clea's books. Cat lovers will appreciate the care taken with the cats.

Thanks for writing in, Kay, and thank you again for giving me the forum, Lesa!

I know of several multi-pet households. And, yes, Kay, in every case the cat rules. My friend Penny has a German shephard that has a crush on the cat next door. Will refuse to walk by until the cat comes out and greets her. Maybe in my next book, I'll have the species meet and see what happens... hmm...

Well, Clea, if you are going to include dogs and cats in your next book, I better get started on the three you've already written! :)

I notice we own the first two at my library. I'll check them out soon. I also notice that you are published by the lovely Poisoned Pen Press, which is a big thumbs-up in my book. I love the books they publish!

About Me

I have been a library manager/administrator for over 30 years, in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and, now, Indiana. Winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. I am a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, ReadertoReader.com and VibrantNation.com. Author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer.

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It's an honor to be asked to review books, and I'm grateful to all the publishers, publicists, and authors who send me books. Thank you. Reviews will appear on my blog if I've had a chance to read, and finish, the book. If I do not finish a book, I won't review it, and I will not respond to emails asking when, or if, I'll be reviewing a book.

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